True, there are no oceans or mountains, in the traditional sense at least, but that doesn’t mean St. Louis is lacking in outdoor activities. Quite the opposite. There’s a ski resort. Big and small rivers. Lakes. Hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. There is much more to do than I’m listing here, but these are some of my favorite outdoor activities in St. Louis (that I actually have done). Also, I’ve kept this list to within 30 miles of St. Louis. Head out a little farther and you’ll find even more to explore!
1. Mountain biking and hiking Castlewood State Park.
Castlewood is one of my favorite local parks. It’s only about 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis, but it makes you feel like you’re in another world. Tall bluffs. Creeks and a fast-moving river. Playgrounds and swimming holes. Castlewood has it all. Like most parks in Missouri, Castlewood is rocky and hilly. But the climbs are well worth the stunning vistas once you get to the top.
I’m what you’d call a “lowland’ mountain biker. I don’t take the big hills, but I love racing through the mud, up and down the smaller hills along the River Scene and Stinging Nettle Trails. For a short, 30ish minute hike, I like the Lone Wolf Trail. For a longer, 4 mile, hike the Grotpeter can’t be beat. The River Scene Trail is nice for hiking, too, but I prefer to bike it because the bugs can be a bit overwhelming in the summer months and it’s often muddy.
2. Stand up paddle boarding at Creve Coeur Lake.
3. Skiing and tubing at Hidden Valley Ski Resort.
4. Floating on the Meramec River.
5. Biking the Katy Trail.
I’m going to date myself, but I admit that I remember when the Katy Trail was born. I was in high school and liked to bike it from St. Charles to Weldon Spring. It was particularly nice at the time because there were few bike trails in St. Louis and even fewer that were as flat as the Katy Trail. It turns out abandoned rail lines make ideal walking and biking trails. Since the 1990s, the trail has been extended and now spans 237 miles. I haven’t ridden all of it yet, but some day I’d like to.
If you’re visiting St. Louis, your best bet is to rent a bike in historic downtown St. Charles and ride South toward Weldon Spring. There are many other access points along the way. Two of my favorites are from Creve Coeur Lake at the Lakeside Cafe (a bike path extends from the lake across the Page Extension bridge and meets the Katy Trail on the west side of the Missouri River. Another favorite spot of mine is the Weldon Spring Trail head. It puts you on one of the more pretty trail spots just two miles from Defiance, Missouri where you can grab a bite to eat and not far from the wineries in Augusta.
Later in life I learned that Ted and Pat Jones were responsible for giving this wonderful outdoor gift to Missouri. This is particularly interesting to me because I work for the company Ted ran, Edward Jones. It doesn’t surprise me because their example of giving back to the community is still very much alive at the firm today.
6. Hiking Chubb Trail.
This trail is legendary in St. Louis for mountain biking. It’s a little too technical (challenging) for me to bike so I prefer to hike it. And what a hike it is. It’s a linear hike. If you do the whole thing out and back, it’s 13+ miles. I prefer doing half at a time. I’ve started from the Lone Elk Trail Head and the Tyson Trailhead. The Tyson is prettier, in my opinion, and less muddy. However, the Lone Elk route follows the Meramec so there are some really nice river views. If you look closely enough you’ll see the hikers at Castlewood State Park from the other side of the river.
7. Biking the Great River Road.
There are many reasons to love the Great River Road. Steep bluffs following the bends in the river to one side. The Mighty Mississippi River rushing past you on the other. Connecting
8. Kayaking or paddle boating at the Boat House in Forest Park.
9. Ice skating at Steinberg Skating Rink in Forest Park.
Close your eyes. Pretend it’s the 1960s and you’re in a movie featuring Doris Day and Rock Hudson. A simpler time when ice skating was one of maybe four things you could do when it was cold outside. Then you might have a picture of what it’s like to skate the rink at Steinberg. True, the establishment might be a bit dated, but that’s part of its charm! It’s St. Louis’s answer to Rockefeller Center. And, while you may not have the country’s leading city as your backdrop, you will have the beauty of Forest Park and architectural structures of the Central West End surrounding you. There are few things as magical as a lightly falling snow, smokey fire pits and oldies playing in the background as you skate your way through Steinberg.
10. Biking Grant’s Trail.
